Guides
Answers about the NHIE and the job
Each one answers a single question from a primary source, like EBPHI's own documents, a state's rules, or federal pay data, with the date it was checked.
The NHIE
- What is the NHIE pass rate?EBPHI publishes no national NHIE pass rate. The one public number is from Texas, where 56.8% of first-time candidates passed. Here is what it measures.Checked on October 4, 2026
- How hard is the NHIE?The NHIE is 200 questions in 4 hours, graded against a fixed standard. What makes it hard, domain by domain, without a made-up pass rate.Checked on October 4, 2026
- What score do you need to pass the NHIE?You need a scaled score of 500 to pass the NHIE, on a scale of 200 to 800. Why EBPHI does not publish how many questions you need right.Checked on October 4, 2026
- NHIE domain weights and content outlineThe NHIE content outline weights its three domains 70 / 20 / 10. All 19 tasks with their weights, and why some sites still print 63 / 25 / 12.Checked on October 4, 2026
- How to study for the NHIEAn NHIE study guide that follows the official outline: what to read, how to split your hours across the three domains, and how to use practice exams.Checked on October 4, 2026
- NHIE exam day: cost, scheduling, and what to bringThe NHIE costs $225 per attempt in most states. How to register, the cancel rule, what to bring to the test center, and the 30-day retake wait.Checked on October 4, 2026
Becoming a home inspector
- How to become a home inspectorHow to become a home inspector: check your state's rules, finish the training, pass the exam (the NHIE in most licensing states), get insured, and apply.Checked on October 4, 2026
- How much do home inspectors make?BLS puts the median for building and home inspectors at $74,690 a year. An ASHI column puts new inspectors a little over $50,000 in gross revenue.Checked on October 4, 2026
- Is home inspection a good career?BLS projects little or no change in inspector jobs from 2025 to 2035. What the pay data, the outlook, and the work say about home inspection as a career.Checked on October 4, 2026
- Home inspector certification vs. licenseA license comes from a state and is the legal right to inspect for a fee. A certification comes from a trade group like ASHI or InterNACHI. When you need each.Checked on October 4, 2026
- How long it takes and what it costs to become a home inspectorTraining runs 60 to 194 hours in the states with a set hour count, plus field work. The NHIE costs $225 in most states, and state fees run $80 to $720.Checked on October 4, 2026
- ASHI vs. InterNACHIASHI and InterNACHI both charge $499 a year. ASHI's top title asks for the NHIE and 250 paid inspections; InterNACHI uses its own free exam. Side by side.Checked on October 4, 2026
- Do you need a degree to be a home inspector?No. None of the 12 licensing states checked here asks for a college degree, and five ask for a high school diploma. What they require instead.Checked on October 4, 2026
- Can you become a home inspector with no construction experience?Yes. None of the 12 licensing states checked here requires construction work. They ask for training and an exam, and a few give credit for trade work.Checked on October 4, 2026
- Can a felon become a home inspector?Often, yes. None of the seven licensing states checked here makes a conviction a permanent bar, and four will rule on your record before you apply.Checked on October 4, 2026
- Becoming a home inspector after the militaryThe GI Bill can repay the NHIE fee, up to $2,000 per test. Texas and Florida waive some license fees for veterans, and SkillBridge lists home inspection firms.Checked on October 4, 2026
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